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America of the mid 20th century was intoxicated with itself. And why not? It had won the war and saved the world! The young mean and women who accomplished this feat headed toward the 50s and into the early 60s proud, confident, carefree and adventurous. Nothing mirrored the attitude of the times more than the automobile. General Motors beckoned with "See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet. America is asking you to call." Call they did! They packed the Baby Boom into the back seat and with fins riding high began discovering the nation they fought for and yearned to experience.

On the road, these families needed not just a place to sleep, but a home away from home. All across the nation, and most especially in resort and vacation areas motels, or motor hotels, as some liked to call themselves, sprang up over night to meet the demand. They had pools, televisions, air conditioning, play areas, balconies, recreation rooms, and more. Nowhere was this phenomenon embraced with more enthusiasm than in Wildwood, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, the three beach communities on New Jersey's southern most island.

Collectively known as The Wildwoods, the towns already were popular vacation destinations. From every part of New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia vacationers flocked to The Wildwoods for its smooth, sandy beach, miles long, and in some places, more than two thousand feet wide. They loved to walk the Boardwalk and experience the thrills of its amusement piers.

In the 1950s, the number of fun seekers multiplied dramatically. New motels went up everywhere—each trying to be unique and outdo the others. Like the cars and the philosophy of the day, their mid-century designs were bold, carefree and often flamboyant. Roof lines could never be simple. Instead, they were fashioned like aircraft wings, sometimes outstretched like those of a B-52 bomber in flight or folded wings like a Corsair, resting on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

The mostly Mom and Pop entrepreneurs who built their motor hotels in The Wildwoods knew the GI Joes and Jills back from the war wanted to experience the foreign and the fantastic, without getting too far from home. They gave them what they wanted. Balconies, railings, staircases, and even names were outlandish and taken from movies, television and ports of call around the word. The colors were vivid and bright to catch the eye by day. An ocean of neon did the job at night. The primary goal was to call out, "Stay here. I'm more exciting than the rest."

And while it may have been a bit tacky, wasn't always authentic and, like the doo wop music of the era was often nonsensical, it worked. As Dad drove down Ocean, Surf and Atlantic avenues, someone in the family, usually one of the kids, would point and say "I want to stay there."

Times change, of course. The culture of the 50s and 60s and its material manifestations were swept away by the social turbulence of the Vietnam War years, economics, and the changing tastes of the 70s and 80s. Everywhere in America, mid-century commercial architecture was torn down almost as quickly as it had been built to make way for anything from new highways to high rises.

Except in The Wildwoods. There were no new superhighways needed here, and no urban renewal. Generations of families had come here long before the post war boom and they would continue to come. In much smaller numbers, but they always came. The ebb and flow were just enough to keep the doors of most of the motels open, family owned and operated just as they had always been. No need or money to tear them down and build new. The crowds weren't that large. So the towns of Wildwood, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest just poked along into the early 90s. They were seaside resorts literally "lost in the 50s."

By the mid 90s, business leaders realized they needed a way to pump new life into this legendary part of the Jersey shore. They looked to the town of Cape May, just south of them. It was having great success marketing itself as a historic community of late 19th-century architecture. The Wildwoods had Victorian homes, too; perhaps they could do the same. They called in the experts. While not impressed with the area's Victorian possibilities, they were intrigued by all those 50s motels. They were everywhere! Some were boarded up. But most, though in need of repair and with paint bleached by 40 years of sun and salt, were open and catering to seasonal guests.

The Wildwoods had found their treasure and their claim to fame. They possessed the largest collection of mid-century commercial architecture anywhere in the country. They turned passionately to the task of the restoration and marketing what they dubbed "doo wop architecture." A Doo Wop Preservation League was formed. Motel, restaurant and shop owners began working together to see that restoration and remodeling kept the authenticity of the buildings while providing for the taste and expectations of today's vacationers.

The result is that visitors to The Wildwoods today can learn about doo wop architecture at the Preservation League's museum and on guided trolley tours. Best of all, they stay in these 1950s marvels with their 21st-century amenities. They can enjoy the Starlux, one of The Wildwood's oldest motels. Completed renovated to highlight the glass block in the bathrooms and the brick bedroom walls, it combines retro-style furnishings with modern amenities like CD players. The kitchenettes are equipped with microwaves, just perfect for heating the frozen TV dinners available in the office.

Today, as in the 50s, guests can experience the family-friendly Pan American, with its inviting swimming pool surrounded by plastic palm trees—a Wildwoods' trademark. They can find similar hospitality with a different theme at the Caribbean, Royal Hawaiian, Shalimar, Monaco, Malibu, Rio Grande, Aztec, Bonanza or dozens of other motels with their distinctive themes and flavors. They can enjoy the beach and the boardwalk. Learn a little history and have a lot of fun. They can see the world, or at least some interpretations of it, all in The Wildwoods.

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